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MOREHEAD, Ky. -- It had been more than 10 seasons since the Morehead State baseball team posted a home shutout, but now the Eagles have two in one week. Four MSU pitchers combined on a seven-hit shutout, and the Eagle offense staked the pitchers to an 8-0 lead after two frames in a 13-0 victory over Marshall at Allen Field Wednesday.
MSU, which shut down Belmont 9-0 Saturday, won its fourth straight game to improve to 16-9. The Thundering Herd, who had defeated the Eagles 6-5 in 12 innings on March 15 in West Virginia, slipped to 13-10. Morehead State has now won 28 of its last 31 games at home.
Junior righthander
Luke Humphreys, normally in the weekend rotation, got a mid-week start and responded by throwing six innings, allowing just four hits, and striking out six to improve to 4-2. Junior lefty
Cable Wright, senior righthander
Craig Pearcy and senior closer
Tyler Keele teamed up for the final three frames and combined to surrender just three hits with three punchouts.
"Hump (
Luke Humphreys) threw the ball well, and we played solid in all three phases today," said Head Coach
Mike McGuire.
Freshman catcher
Hunter Fain and fellow freshman designated hitter
Trevor Snyder provided the early offensive fireworks. Fain cranked a three-run homer in the first, his first career four-bagger, and Snyder cleared the bases with a three-run home run in the second. MSU's defense played error-free. Fain upped his team-high reached-base streak to 19 contests.
"We have been playing quite a few freshmen in the lineup, but those guys are up to 60-70 college at-bats now, and they are starting to see the ball a lot better. Hopefully those home runs are the first of many for them," McGuire added.
Late inning scoring came from veterans
Alex Stephens and
Ryan Kent and junior college transfer
Will Schneider. Schneider and Stephens had RBI hits in a two-run sixth, and Kent doubled home a pair and scored on a wild pitch to account for the trio crossing the plate in the eighth.
Schneider finished 3-for-4, extending his reached-base streak to 16 games. Snyder was 3-for-5, and Fain was 2-for-4.
Marshall third baseman Tyler Ratliff led his squad with a 3-for-3 effort.
Morehead State battles in-state Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Kentucy on the road this weekend. Game one of the three-game ser is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
